Lupta Pentru Libertate
by MercurialLily
Summary: Telling of the events of the 1989 Romanian Revolution. Based on real events. In the wake of a rebellion, Vladimir tries to figure out what he can do for his people. T.
1. December 16

**Author: MercurialLily**  
><strong>Fandom: Hetalia<strong>  
><strong>Title: Lupta Pentru Libertate<strong>  
><strong>Rating: T<strong>  
><strong>Pairing: None, really<strong>

_**A/N:**_** This is based on the Romanian Revolution of 1989 (December 16-27). You'll find out more when you read, but basically the Romanians wanted to overthrow their dictator Nicolae Ceau****ș****escu. After a botched speech by Ceausescu, riots broke out in several cities. Eventually, Ceau****ș****escu and his wife Elena were put on trial and executed.**

**Human names are being used, but seeing as some of the characters in this story don't have canon names, I'll be using the names I've given them. They are as follows:**

**Romania: Vladimir Dobrescu**

**Bulgaria: Nikolai Panatov**

**Moldova: Andrei Dobrescu (same surname as Romania because they're brothers. Also, remember, Moldova's a little kid)**

**The current location of the story is Timi****ș****oara, Romania.**

**Historical references will appear at the bottom, as well as any translations. So read on!**

_December 16, 1989_

_Ring... Ring... Ring..._

"Shut up, phone," Vladimir grumbled angrily from where he sat on his couch. "I'm busy." Reaching forward, he picked up some documents resting on the coffee table and began leafing through them. "So they're still in jail," he murmured. "Figures."

_Ring... Ring..._

"Shh! I'm working!" He shot the phone a glare as he continued to read the papers in his hands.

All of a sudden, the phone stopped ringing, and Vladimir heard a small voice say, "Hello? Who is this?"

Vladimir turned in the direction of the voice. Standing by the phone table, clutching the receiver in his tiny hands, was his little brother Andrei.

"Yes, this is Andrei," Andrei was saying. "You want to talk to my big brother? Okay." Andrei looked over at Vladimir. "Fratele mai mare, the phone wants to talk to you."

Vladimir started to stand. "Mulțumesc, Andrei." Walking over to his brother, he took the phone and held it to his ear. "Hello, this is Vladimir."

"Vlad, kheĭ. How are you doing?" the voice on the other end said. "This is Nikolai, by the way."

"I figured it was you, Nikolai," Vladimir replied. "Why do you care how I'm doing? I'm fine."

There was a slight pause. "Well, I... I heard about the stuff that's been going on in your country. Not much, but enough. It sounds pretty bad. So..." Nikolai trailed off.

"What have you heard? And who told you?" Vladimir asked.

"Elizabeta. I was talking to her earlier-"

"Why the hell were you talking to her?" Vladimir demanded. "You know how I hate her. Whatever she told you, she was probably lying."

"I don't think so. She just mentioned the arrests in Bucharest."

"Ah, yes. The arrests." With a sigh, Vladimir leaned against the wall and cradled the receiver in his hands. "Well, last month, some students were demonstrating in Bucharest. They were holding signs with the phrase 'We want Reforms against Ceaușescu government'. He's my weird boss, remember? Due to their demonstrations, they were arrested by the Securitate. Right now they're locked up at Rahova Penitentiary. I don't know when, or if, they'll be released."

"That must be tough," Nikolai said softly.

"It is." Vladimir chewed on his bottom lip as he continued, "You know that my people have been struggling over the past few years. They barely have enough food. On top of that, our infant mortality rate's gone up a lot. Oh, and I'm sure you remember when our external debt was paid off. Eleven billion dollars, Nikolai. That was kind of a success on our part, because we're no longer in debt, but still... My people are starving."

"You know, you can always come live with me," Nikolai suggested. "I'm sure my boss wouldn't mind."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine where I am. My people need me here. I can't just abandon them." Vladimir paused. "But you could do something else for me..."

"Anything. Just say it."

Vladimir glanced at Andrei, who was currently preoccupied with a spot on the wall. He loved his little brother, but he didn't want to have him around until the unrest in the country was settled. "If you could take care of Andrei for me... Just until it's okay on my end."

There was no response from Nikolai. Vladimir thought that the call had been disconnected, but then he heard Nikolai's voice: "Yeah, I'll take him. He's not that difficult to take care of, is he?"

"Well..." Vladimir thought about his brother's daily routines. "He eats a lot. But he's really fussy about what he eats. He also sleeps a lot, but you have to tire him out before bedtime, or else he won't want to go to bed. Oh, and I'll warn you. He's going through a stage where he bites everything in sight. His teeth are really sharp. So be careful."

"Okay, thanks for letting me know. When should I come get him?"

"The sooner the better. I know he'll probably be a bit of a pain, but you don't know how much it means to me. I owe you one," Vladimir said.

Nikolai laughed slightly. "Don't worry about it," he replied. "Just worry about getting back on your feet, dobre? I'll be around either later tonight or tomorrow to get Andrei."

"All right. I'll see you then. Bye." Vladimir hung up the phone and turned to Andrei, who by now had started to chew on the arm of the couch. "Hey! No chewing the furniture. You're not a dog."

Andrei looked up at Vladimir. "Why were you talking all serious on the phone?" he asked.

"I was talking to Nikolai. You remember him." Vladimir walked over to Andrei and picked him up, balancing him on his hip. "Well, he's going to take care of you for a while."

"What? Why?" Andrei looked hurt. "Did I do something wrong? Please don't get rid of me."

"It's not for long. It's just until fratele mai mare gets better, okay?"

Andrei frowned. "What's wrong with fratele mai mare?"

Before Vladimir could respond, there was an assertive knock on the door. "Open this door right now," a stern voice from outside commanded.

Vladimir, still carrying Andrei, went over to the door and opened it cautiously. Standing on the porch of the house was Petre Moț, the mayor of Timișoara. He did not seem impressed by the fact that Andrei was there.

"What is it, Primar?" Vladimir asked. "Why are you here?"

"I'm sure you've heard what's happening downtown," Moț said.

Vladimir shook his head. "Nu, I haven't," he said. "What's going on?"

Moț sighed and shook his head. "You remember when that pastor Tőkés commented about our policies here, right?"

Vladimir nodded. He thought about László Tőkés, the pastor at the Hungarian Reformed Church. In July earlier that year, Tőkés had complained that the Romanians didn't know their human rights. The comment had shocked and angered the Romanians, as well as the Securitate. "What about him?"

"We're trying to evict him due to his ethnic hatred, but it seems that the Hungarians in the city aren't happy with that," Moț explained. "I tried to tell them that I had overturned that decision, but they wanted it in writing. Of course, I said that would take too much time, so they decided to chant about anticommunism. The bastards. We have the police there now, but there are so many protesters. Is there anything you can think of?"

"Um... Well..." Vladimir wasn't sure what to do. He had never liked Hungarians-mostly because of that bitchy Elizabeta-but he didn't want the protest to get violent. "Can't you just let them be? I mean, come on. They're not hurting anyone."

"They're against the government. They're against you." Moț shook his head again and added, "I hope that having your little brother around isn't making you soft."

"Wh-what? No, it's just that... I don't want people to get hurt. And, you know, I want to set a good example for Andrei."

"A good example would be fighting for your country. Teach the kid to be tough. He won't get anywhere by being weak."

It seemed like Andrei could tell what they were talking about, as he let out an upset cry and started flailing. In an attempt to calm him down, Vladimir began whispering to him in a soft, gentle voice. "Ești în regulă unul, mic. Ești în regulă."

Moț was growing impatient, and he hissed, "Just do something about the protests, all right? That's all I want. Good day to you." And with that, he left.

Andrei had stopped flailing by this point, and now he was resting his head on Vladimir's shoulder. "Who was that scary man?" he asked.

"That was my boss, little brother," Vladimir said, sighing. He closed the door and gently set Andrei down on the floor. "Now go get something packed, okay? Nikolai will be here soon."

"Bine, fratele mai mare!" With a smile, Andrei scampered off down the hall.

As soon as Andrei was out of sight, Vladimir slumped down against the door. "Ce am de gând să fac?" he whispered.

_To be continued_

**_A/N: _Thus ends the first chapter of ****Lupta Pentru Libertate****!**

**Translations:**

**Lupta Pentru Libertate-Fight for Freedom (Romanian)**

**Fratele mai mare-Big brother (Romanian)**

**Mul****țumesc-Thank you (Romanian)**

**Kheĭ-Hey (Bulgarian)**

**Dobre-Okay (Bulgarian)**

**Primar-Mayor (Romanian)**

**Nu-No (Romanian)**

**Ești în regulă unul, mic. Ești în regulă-You're okay, little one. You're okay (Romanian)**

**Bine-Okay (Romanian)**

**Ce am de gând să fac?-What am I going to do? (Romanian)**

**Historical information:**

**Arrests in Bucharest-On November 11, 1989, on Brezoianu Street and Kogălniceanu Boulevard in Bucharest, students from Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca were demonstrating with signs saying "We want Reforms against Ceaușescu government". The students from Cluj-Napoca were arrested and interrogated by the Securitate at the Rahova Penitentiary due to suspicions of propaganda. They were released on December 22, 1989.**

**Securitate-The secret police in Romania. They essentially made Romania a police state. Free speech and opinions that opposed the Communist Party were forbidden. The Securitate was extremely brutal, even by Soviet Bloc standards.**

**Romanians struggling-In 1981, Nikolae Ceaușescu started an austerity program that would allow Romania to liquidate its national debt. In order to achieve this, food, gas, and heat were rationed; this terribly affected the standard of living and led to increased malnutrition. At the same time, the infant mortality rate was the highest in Europe.**

**External debt-Romania's external debt was about $11 billion dollars. In early 1989, several activists in the Romanian Communist Party (RCP) criticised the economic policies of Ceaușescu, but shortly after Romania paid off its debt.**

**Events of December 16, 1989-A Hungarian pastor, László Tőkés, had made some critical comments about the Romanians in July earlier that year. The government believed he was inciting ethnic hatred, and his bishop decided to send him to be a pastor in the countryside. However, his parishioners gathered around his apartment to protect him. Several passers-by joined spontaneously. When the crowd wouldn't disperse, the mayor, Petre Moț, remarked that he had overturned the decision to evict Tőkés. Later, when Moț recanted his statement, the crowd started to chant anticommunist slogans. By the time the police and Securitate showed up, the protest had spread. Some of the protesters tried to burn down the building that housed the RCP. The Securitate launched attacks with water jets and tear gas while the police assaulted and arrested many of the rioters. The rioters withdrew for a time before regrouping around the Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, where they were again confronted by security.**

**I do not own anything. Please look forward to the next chapter!**


	2. December 17

**Author: MercurialLily**  
><strong>Fandom: Hetalia<strong>  
><strong>Title: Lupta Pentru Libertate<strong>  
><strong>Rating: T<strong>  
><strong>Pairing: None<strong>

_**A/N:**_** And here is the second chapter!**

**Remember when Nikolai was going to take care of Andrei? That happened after the events of the last chapter. So Andrei's safe now, and Vladimir's still dealing with the riots.**

**Again, historical references and any translations are at the bottom.**

_December 17, 1989_

"Really? They tried to burn down a building?"

"Yes, Nikolai," Vladimir sighed. "It didn't work, though. The Securitate deterred the rioters with tear gas and water jets, and the police arrested some of them. Now more protesters are apparently marching around the city. I doubt most of them know what they're even protesting against."

"Uh, I hate to sound stupid, but I forget what they're protesting."

Vladimir rolled his eyes. Of course, this had no effect as he was on the phone. "I was just telling you about that Tőkés guy, the Hungarian pastor. He was supposed to be evicted, but the Hungarians in the city gathered together to protect him," he explained. "But it's not just the Hungarians anymore. Now ethnic Romanians are joining in. They're protesting the government. Mainly Ceaușescu."

"Can't you find a way to get rid of him?" Nikolai asked. "That might calm everyone down."

"I can't do that! He's my boss!" Vladimir couldn't believe what his friend was suggesting. "That would just make everything worse."

There was a long sigh from the other end of the line. "It was just a suggestion, Vlad."

"Yeah, I understood that," Vladimir said. "By the way, how's Andrei?"

"He misses you. He keeps asking how you are," Nikolai replied. "I have no idea how to answer. He wouldn't understand."

"He'd understand a little. There was civil unrest in his country last month," Vladimir noted. "But he's still a little kid. Just...tell him I'll be okay. Vă rog?"

"Da, okeĭ. But just remember, I have my own stuff going on. You're not the only one who's stressed out.

_You don't have to act so passive-aggressive,_ Vladimir thought. He sighed. "Can you tell Andrei that I love him and I'll see him soon? I have to go."

"I will. Make good choices for your people." There was a pause. "And Vlad... Bŭdete kasa."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. La revedere."

"Oh, Doamne..." Vladimir whispered. "This is worse than I thought."

He was walking through downtown Timișoara late that night, wanting to see what was going on. What he saw shocked him.

Tanks and trucks were blocking off accesses in and out of the city. He couldn't see them, but he heard helicopters overhead. There were puddles of some dark liquid everywhere. Several cars were destroyed; one about fifty feet away from Vladimir was completely burned out. As he approached Piața Libertății, he noticed police and Securitate officers talking with military personnel. Before he got within earshot, a young man running past bumped into him. Vladimir was startled.

The young man stepped back, and Vladimir realized that he was no older than seventeen. He also saw that the man's shirt sleeve was torn, and his arm was bloody. "Are you okay?" Vladimir asked.

"Takarodj innen!" the man cried. "A rendőrség neked!"

So he was Hungarian. Vladimir had no idea what he was saying, and before he could ask, the man ran off again. A police officer noticed and gave chase, following the man down an alley. Vladimir heard the officer shout something, followed by two gunshots and a scream from the man-"Szabadság!"-before the square was quiet once again. The officer came out of the alley, holding his smoking service pistol at his side, and rejoined his comrades.

Moving quietly and slowly so as not to alarm the officers, Vladimir walked towards the alley. It was dark, but he could make out the body lying nearby. As he got closer, he noticed the blood pooling around the man's body and saw his eyes staring blankly at the sky. Suddenly, Vladimir was struck with a realization. _Those puddles in the street..._

They were blood.

_**A/N:**_** Another chapter complete!**

**Translations:**

**Vă rog?-Please? (Romanian)**

**Da, okeĭ-Yeah, okay (Bulgarian)**

**Bŭdete kasa-Be safe (Bulgarian)**

**La revedere-Goodbye (Romanian)**

**Oh, Doamne-Oh, my God (Romanian)**

**Takarodj innen! A rendőrség neked!-Get out of here! The police will get you! (Hungarian)**

**Szabadság!-Freedom! (Hungarian)**

**Historical information:**

**1989 Moldovan civil unrest-On November 7, 1989, during a festival celebrating the Soviet police force, protesters took the opportunity to challenge authority figures and disrupt pro-Soviet events. Three days later, on November 10, more protesters in Chișinău burned down the headquarters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This led to riots in central Chișinău. The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Moldova, Semion Grossu, urged the military to arrest those responsible and deport them outside of Moldova. However, due to the riots, Grossu was replaced by Petru Lucinschi on November 16.**

**Bulgaria in 1989-In November 1989, demonstrations were staged in Sofia, which transitioned into a campaign for political reform. When the Communists didn't break the demonstrations, it was thought to be a sign of potential change. The communist politicians reacted by removing Todor Zhivkov and replacing him with Petar Mladenov (though Mladenov was only in power for a short time). In June 1990, the first free elections since 1931 were held, and a year later a new Constitution was adopted.**

**Events of December 17, 1989-Riots and protests continued from the day before. The protesters broke into the building that housed the District Commitee and threw RCP documents, Ceaușescu's writings, propaganda brochures, and various other Communist items out of the windows. When they tried to set the building on fire, they were stopped. Romania didn't have riot police, so the military was brought in to assist the police and Securitate. However, they failed to establish order, and chaos broke out in the streets, with gunfire, fights, and deaths ensuing. In Piața Libertății (Liberty Square) there was wild shooting, and tanks, trucks, and other army vehicles set up roadblocks while helicopters surveyed the area from overhead. When the protests finally calmed down at midnight, the city was said to look like a war zone: destruction, ash, and blood were everywhere.**

**Things will definitely get more intense in the next chapter. Please look forward to it!**


	3. December 18

**Author: MercurialLily**  
><strong>Fandom: Hetalia<strong>  
><strong>Title: Lupta Pentru Libertate<strong>  
><strong>Rating: T<strong>  
><strong>Pairing: None<strong>

_**A/N:**_** And so begins the harrowing events of December 18.**

**Historical references and translations are at the bottom.**

"I heard there's a meeting going on at the University."

"Really? Why is there a meeting?"

"Apparently it's about the protests that have been going on."

Vladimir listened quietly to this exchange as he made his way down the street. He was still reeling from the events he had witnessed the night before, wondering what possessed that officer to kill the young man. Couldn't he have just arrested him? And the cry of "Szabadság!"-what did it mean? Vladimir didn't speak any Hungarian.

The streets hadn't been cleaned up. Blood was splattered everywhere-on walls, on sidewalks, even on cars-and the destroyed vehicles still stood. Police officers patrolled the streets, carefully observing everyone.

Two young women were walking toward Vladimir. As they passed, one of them was saying, "We're not supposed to be in groups larger than two. Can you believe that? My brother's planning on protesting that."

Wait. This woman's brother was going to protest this new law? He wanted to ask, but by the time he turned around, the two women were gone.

Vladimir sighed. He wanted his people to be free from Communist rule, but there was nothing he could do. Ceaușescu was his boss. If Vladimir tried to "get rid of him" like Nikolai suggested, it could lead to serious repercussions.

Then he thought about this new law. It was most likely passed to try and avoid any further riots. But the people had been bound by rules for too long. Sometime soon, they were going to snap.

Vladimir noticed the cathedral up ahead. "I could use some time for quiet reflection," he mused. But his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps, and soon several young men ran past him, talking over each other and laughing. Vladimir stopped one of them. "What's your name?" he asked.

"My name?" The young man looked at Vladimir. "Alin."

"How old are you?"

"I just turned sixteen."

"Where are you going?"

Alin smiled and replied, "We're going to the cathedral to sing."

Vladimir frowned slightly. "To sing?" he questioned. "Why is that?"

"To show that we haven't yet lost hope," Alin said. "You should join us, frate!" And off he ran to be with the rest of the group.

Vladimir watched as Alin was handed a bag, which he opened. From it he pulled out the national flag-but the Communist coat of arms was removed. A hole gaped in the centre of the fabric.

Alin climbed the steps of the cathedral and, lifting the flag, began to sing in a loud, strong voice:

"Deșteaptă-te, române, din somnul cel de moarte

În care te-adânciră barbarii de tirani

Acum ori niciodată croieșe-ți altă soartă

La care să se-nchine și cruzii tăi dușmani!"

As he sang, other members of his group joined him on the steps and continued:

"Acum ori niciodată să dăm dovezi la lume

Că-n aste mâni mai curge un sânge de roman

Și că-n a noastre piepturi păstrăm cu fală-un nume

Triumfător în lupte, un nume de Traian!"

Vladimir could hardly believe it. The song they were singing had been banned for decades... And now these young men, many of them still teenagers, were proudly singing their hearts out, as if nothing else mattered.

Their singing had caught the attention of the police, who were now advancing toward the cathedral and the group, holding their guns at the ready. "Stop singing right now and no one will get hurt!" one officer shouted.

But the singing continued:

"Înalță-ți lata frunte și caută-n giur de tine

Cum stau ca brazi în munte voinici sute de mii

Un glas ei mai așteaptă și sar ca lupi în stâne

Bătrâni, bărbați, juni, tineri, din munți și din campii!"

The officer who had demanded they stop singing was now speaking with the rest of the officers. Then they raised their guns, pointing them at the young men. "Fire!" one officer commanded.

It happened so fast, Vladimir could barely tell what had occured. The officers' guns exploded in the direction of the youths. Some of the men immediately dropped to the ground, while others kept singing.

"Priviți, mărețe umbre, Mihai, Ștefan, Corvine-"

Some began to run, escaping the shots.

"Româna națiune, ai voștri strănepoți-"

Those who had been shot and were still alive kept trying to sing, their voices faltering.

"Cu brațele armate, cu focul vostru-n vine-"

One youth grabbed the flag from Alin and began waving it frantically.

"'Viața-n libertate ori moarte'-"

The song was never finished. The youths who were still there were soon shot down, some writhing in pain, some completely still.

Vladimir was in shock. Somehow, his legs decided to move, and before he knew it, he was standing next to the body of Alin, who had so bravely begun the song. Alin's right hand was resting on the flag, which was now tattered and stained with blood. His eyes were closed-it almost looked like he was just sleeping.

Vladimir sank to his knees, trembling. He could care less about the police officers running over to him. As he stared at the flag, he began to cry.

_**A/N:**_** This chapter made me really sad. In a way, it reminds me of the 1832 June Rebellion in France (which is portrayed in **_**Les Misérables**_**).**

**Translations:**

**Szabadság!-Freedom! (Hungarian)**

**Frate-Brother (Romanian)**

**The full lyrics and translation of the song are below:**

**Deșteaptă-te, române, din somnul cel de moarte (Wake up, Romanian, from the sleep of death)**

**În care te-adânciră barbarii de tirani (Into which you have been sunk by the barbaric tyrants)**

**Acum ori niciodată croiește-ți altă soartă (Now, or never, make a new fate for yourself)**

**La care să se-nchine și cruzii tăi dușmani (To which even your cruel enemies will bow)**

**Acum ori niciodată să dăm dovezi la lume (Now or never let us give proof to the world)**

**Că-n aste mâni mai curge un sânge de roman (That in these veins a Roman's blood still flows)**

**Și că-n a noastre piepturi păstrăm cu fală-un nume (That in our chests we hold a name with pride)**

**Triumfător în lupte, un nume de Traian (Victorious in battle, the name of Trajan*)**

**Înalță-ți lata frunte și caută-n giur de tine (Raise your broad forehead and see around you)**

**Cum stau ca brazi în munte voinici sute de mii (How, like fir trees on a mountain, hundreds of thousands of strong men stand)**

**Un glas ei mai așteaptă și sar ca lupi în stâne (Just waiting for a voice to pounce like wolves on sheep)**

**Bătrâni, bărbați, juni, tineri, din munți și din câmpii (Elders, men, youths, boys, from the mountains and from the plains)**

**Priviți, mărețe umbre, Mihai, Ștefan, Corvine (Behold, great shadows, Mihai, Ștefan, Corvine)**

**Româna națiune, ai voştri strănepoți (The Romanian nation, your great-grandchildren)**

**Cu brațele armate, cu focul vostru-n vine (With weapons in their arms, with fire in their veins)**

**"Viața-n libertate ori moarte" strigă toți ("Life in freedom or death" shout all)**

**Pre voi vă nimiciră a pizmei răutate (You were vanquished by the evils of your envy)**

**Și oarba neunire la Milcov și Carpați (And by your blind disunity, at Milcov and the Carpathians)**

**Dar noi, pătrunși la suflet de sfânta libertate (But we, whose souls were pierced by holy liberty)**

**Jurăm că vom da mâna, să fim pururea fraţi (Swear that for ever in brotherhood will join)**

**O mamă văduvită de la Mihai cel Mare (A widowed mother from the time of Michael the Great)**

**Pretinde de la fiii-și azi mână d-ajutori (Claims from her sons today a helping hand)**

**Și blastămă cu lacrămi în ochi pe orișicare (And with tears in her eyes curses whomsoever)**

**În astfel de pericul s-ar face vânzători (In such great peril, a traitor would become)**

**De fulgere să piară, de trăsnet și pucioasă (Of thunder and of brimstone should they perish)**

**Oricare s-ar retrage din gloriosul loc (Anyone who would flee the glorious place)**

**Când patria sau mama, cu inima duioasă (When our land or our mother, with a sorrowful heart)**

**Va cere ca să trecem prin sabie şi foc (Will ask us to cross through swords and blazing fire)**

**N-ajunge iataganul barbarei semilune (Didn't we have enough of the yatagan** of the barbaric crescent)**

**A cărui plăgi fatale și azi le mai simțim (Whose fatal wounds we still feel today)**

**Acum se vâră cnuta în vetrele străbune (Now the knout is intruding in our ancestral homes)**

**Dar martor ne e Domnul că vii nu o primim (But the Lord is our witness that we shall not accept it alive)**

**N-ajunge despotismul cu-ntreaga lui orbie (Didn't we have enough of the blinded despotism)**

**Al cărui jug de seculi ca vitele-l purtăm (Whose yoke, like cattle, for centuries we have carried)**

**Acum se-ncearcă cruzii, cu oarba lor trufie (Now the cruel ones are trying, in their blind arrogance)**

**Să ne răpească limba, dar morţi numai o dăm (To take away our language, but only dead will we surrender it)**

**Români din patru unghiuri, acum ori niciodată (Romanians from the four corners, now or never)**

**Uniți-vă în cuget, uniți-vă-n simțiri (Unite in thought, unite in feeling)**

**Strigați în lumea largă că Dunărea-i furată (Proclaim to the wide world that the Danube is stolen)**

**Prin intrigă și silă, viclene uneltiri (Through intrigue and coersion, sly machinations)**

**Preoți, cu crucea-n frunte căci oastea e creştină (Priests, lead with your crucifixes, for our army is Christian)**

**Deviza-i libertate și scopul ei preasfânt (The motto is Liberty and the goal is holy)**

**Murim mai bine-n luptă, cu glorie deplină (Better to die in battle, in full glory)**

**Decât să fim sclavi iarăși în vechiul nost' pământ (Than to once again be slaves upon our ancient ground)**

***Emperor Trajan conquered Dacia (modern-day Romania) for the Roman Empire.**

****A yatagan is a type of knife from the Ottoman Empire.**

**Moving words, eh?**

**Historical information:**

**Meeting at the University-Mayor Petre Moț ordered a Party gathering with the purpose of condemning the events that had taken place the previous days. He also prohibited people from going around in groups larger than two.**

**Events of December 18, 1989-A group of about thirty young men gathered around the Orthodox Cathedral, where they waved a flag from which they had removed the Communist arms. They began to sing "Deșteaptă-te, române!" ("Wake Up, Romanian!"), the original national anthem that had been banned since 1947. They were fired upon; some died, some were injured, and some managed to escape.**

**Alin is a character I created to represent the group of youths. This is my own retelling of the events. Also, I made the song end on the words "Life in freedom or death", as it seemed to fit nicely.**

**The next chapters will get much, much more intense. Please look forward to that.**


	4. December 19

**Author: MercurialLily**  
><strong>Fandom: Hetalia<strong>  
><strong>Title: Lupta Pentru Libertate<strong>  
><strong>Rating: T<strong>  
><strong>Pairing: None<strong>

_**A/N:**_** Here's the next chapter. Sorry if it's a little short.**

**Historical references and translations are at the bottom.**

_December 19, 1989_

At some time during the afternoon, Vladimir made it back home. The events he had witnessed the previous day were etched in his mind. No matter how hard he tried to push the images out, it didn't work. It was something he would never forget.

He stood in his front hallway for quite some time before he was pulled from his thoughts by the phone ringing. Slowly, he walked over to the phone stand to answer it. "H-hello?" he said.

"Vlad!" It was Nikolai. "How are you? You don't sound like yourself."

"I'm...really not that great, Nikolai." Vladimir put a hand to his temple as a sharp pain shot through his head. "It's not good here."

"What's happening there?"

"Nothing you want to hear. It's too upsetting."

"Hey, I'm your friend," Nikolai said gently. "Talk to me. Please?"

Vladimir sighed, trying to figure out how to word it. "There were more protests yesterday," he began. "I was actually there for one of them. This group of guys got together and sang the old national anthem. They had a flag with the Communist insignia cut out. They were pretty young-I think one of them looked about fifteen. While they were singing, the police started shooting at them. Some of them escaped, but..." He took a deep breath. "A lot of them were hit."

"But none of them died, right? They're just injured?" Nikolai was clearly trying to remain optimistic, but Vladimir could tell it was just a mask.

"Some of them were just injured, but others did die. I watched them remove the bodies." Vladimir shuddered at the memory. "I heard they're just going to be burned."

Nikolai was quiet. When he finally did speak, his voice sounded hollow. "I can't believe that. I'm so sorry."

"It can't be helped," Vladimir sighed. "Things are just going to get worse. Apparently in the west, even more people are getting killed. I'm going to Bucharest soon to see what I can do-"

"Vlad, I want you to listen to me," Nikolai said. "Don't go doing anything reckless. Whatever you do, do what's best for your people. Remember, I'm always here for you if you need me."

"Mulțumesc. Hey, is Andrei there? I want to talk to him."

"Yeah, of course. Can you hold on a second?"

Vladimir waited for a few minutes before he heard a little voice say, "Frate?"

"Hei, Andrei." Vladimir smiled when he heard his brother's voice. "How are you doing?"

"I miss you. It gets lonely here without you," Andrei said. "Nikolai won't tell me any good stories. They're all boring."

Vladimir laughed to himself as he pictured Nikolai struggling to come up with a story for Andrei. "He doesn't have the best imagination, does he?"

"No. They're all about the history of his country. It's dumb," Andrei complained. In the background, Nikolai was shouting, "Don't call my history dumb!"

"Don't worry. I'll see you soon and tell you some good stories. I have to go now, okay? Te iubesc," Vladimir said.

"Okay! See you soon!" Andrei chirped as he hung up the phone.

Vladimir set the phone down, happy that Andrei was okay. Still, the thought of what to do for his people was the most important thing on his mind.

_**A/N:**_** This chapter is kind of like a filler, but it's important to the plot. Again, sorry it's so short.**

**Translations:**

**Mul****țumesc-Thank you (Romanian)**

**Frate-Brother (Romanian)**

**Hei-Hey (Romanian)**

**Te iubesc-I love you (Romanian)**

**Historical information:**

**Aftermath of the singing protest-Civilian casualties ran very high in Timi****șoara, though exact numbers aren't known. The bodies were collected by the military, and some were thrown into mass graves while others were burned.**

**Events of December 19, 1989-Protests continued in western Romania with more deaths occuring. The American government condemned the government of Romania for using "brutal force". At some point, it is believed that members of the military began to switch over to the civilians' side.**

**I mean no offense to the history of Bulgaria.**


	5. December 20

**Author: MercurialLily**  
><strong>Fandom: Hetalia<strong>  
><strong>Title: Lupta Pentru Libertate<strong>  
><strong>Rating: T<strong>  
><strong>Pairing: None<strong>

_**A/N:**_** That last chapter sucked balls, didn't it? So sorry. But here's hoping this chapter is better!**

**Historical references and translations are at the bottom.**

_December 20, 1989_

Vladimir's plans to go to Bucharest were soon cut short. He had heard via radio that troops from the capital would be arriving in Timișoara later that day. Something bad was going to happen. He could feel it.

Would more people take to the streets? If so, how would the new troops respond? It was more than likely that they would use force. Would that mean even more people would die? Too many had already died. Any more would just be too devastating.

"I have to try and do something," he muttered to himself as he paced his living room. "If we could find a way to overthrow him... No, that would most likely just cause more chaos. But other countries have done it. Would it really be that bad of a decision?"

If by some way overthrowing their leader was possible, what would happen after that? The country wouldn't change overnight. A new government would have to be created, and a new leader elected... How long would that take? Then there was the cost of repairing the damage done in the city...

Vladimir groaned and flopped onto his couch. "La naiba..." Picking up some nearby documents, he began flipping through them. "Large crowds in Timișoara... That was three days ago... Unknown number of deaths..." He turned the page. "Two days ago... That was at the cathedral... More deaths..." Another page. "Yesterday... Even more deaths in the west... Military began defecting to the civilians' side..." He stopped reading. "What? The military's on our side now?" This thoroughly confused him. Wasn't the military supposed to be stopping the protesters, not aiding them?

As Vladimir considered the military's motives, he heard voices outside. They sounded far away, but soon it seemed like they were getting closer. Putting the papers down, he stood up and went to the window to see what the commotion was.

Hordes of people were marching through the streets. As they passed, Vladimir caught parts of their chants:

"Noi suntem poporul!"

"Armata e cu noi!"

"Nu vă fie frică, Ceaușescu pică!"

They seemed to be heading toward Piați Operei. Without giving it a second thought, Vladimir left the safety of his home and joined the crowd. Wanting to know what was going on, he turned to the person beside him, a man who looked like a manual worker. "What's happening?" Vladimir asked.

"The dictator's back in the country," the worker replied. "We're planning on occupying Piați Operei until our protests are heard." He smiled and added, "It's good you're joining us. We need all the help we can get!"

Vladimir returned the smile. "I'm always prepared to help my people. Hopefully the protests will work this time."

"Da," the worker said. "Too many lives have been lost over the past few days. Let's put an end to that and get our freedom back."

Upon arriving at Piați Operei, the chants grew louder: "Noi suntem poporul! Armata e cu noi! Nu vă fi frică, Ceaușescu pică!" Their shouts caught the attention of nearby officers, who approached the people in the front and began talking to them. Though Vladimir didn't hear the question, he heard the answer loud and clear:

"Free our comrades, the ones you arrested!"

The officers seemed a bit taken aback. After they spoke to each other, one of them said, "All right. We'll do that."

"And we have another request."

"What would that be?"

There was a pause. Then the reply came, "We demand that Ceaușescu resign immediately."

The crowd erupted into cheers. The officers, however, stepped back, and the first one to speak made a signal with his hand. Vladimir might have been the only one to see this.

Almost immediately, there was the sound of gunshots. Members of the crowd began to shout and run. Vladimir looked around, trying to find the origin of the shots. His eyes rested on a nearby side street, where several Securitate officers were aiming their guns at the crowd.

Before long, the shots died down, and the police officers addressed those who were still there: "Our leader will not be resigning. He will be staying in power, and there is nothing you can do about it. We will, however, release those we arrested."

More angry shouts burst from the crowd:

"Listen to us!"

"He won't be in power for much longer!"

"We are the people!"

Despite the officers' best efforts, the crowd managed to make it further into the square. Vladimir stepped back, simply observing. The slightest of smiles formed on his face.

_We're finally getting somewhere._

**Translations:**

**La naiba-Dammit (Romanian)**

**Noi suntem poporul!-We are the people! (Romanian)**

**Armata e cu noi!-The army is on our side! (Romanian)**

**Nu vă fie frică, Ceaușescu pică!-Have no fear, Ceaușescu is falling! (Romanian)**

**Da-Yes (Romanian)**

**Historical information:**

**Ceaușescu returning-During the early days of the revolution, Ceaușescu was in Iran. His wife Elena was in charge during his absence.**

**Events of December 20, 1989-Roughly 10,000 protesters occupied Piați Operei (Opera Square, which is known today as Piați Victoriei, meaning Victory Square) and chanted anti-government protests (the chants used in this chapter were actually used). The Secretary to the Central Committee Emil Bobu and Prime Minister Constantin Dăscălescu were sent to Timișoara to stop the protests. They agreed to free the arrested protesters, but refused to listen to the main demand, which was the resignation of Ceaușescu. The Securitate fired into the crowd when they got restless. Ceaușescu later blamed the revolt on Hungarian fascists.**

**This chapter took me three hours to write o_O I've been kind of busy lately-my exams are in two weeks and my heart procedure's coming up. I've also been thinking about another idea for a fic, and considering adding another chapter to Gražus Žiauris Pasaulis. Any suggestions for anything are greatly appreciated!**


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